The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) has vowed to create employment and generate foreign currency in Masvingo through the high resolution aeromagnetic and electromagnetics survey commissioned in Chivi and Mwenezi districts.
The Airborne Mineral Exploration project will establish the extent of diamond deposit in Chivi and Mwenezi districts in Masvingo Province where it is believed hat the two districts are rich in kimberlites.
In an interview with Great Dyke News 24 in Chiredzi yesterday, ZCDC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Moris Mpofu said the survey will ensure the implementation of the diamond policy aimed at creating sustainable value for the nation.
“This aeromagnetic survey project is very significant in the fact that it is going to add on the resources that ZCDC has already have.
“It is going to ensure that there is a clear implementation of the diamond policy because it is expansionary in the sense that it will allow us to explore and exploit the resources so that we create sustainable value for Zimbabweans.
“We are going to make sure that this project what we have in Masvingo will benefit the community and the environment itself because we are caring when it comes to the environment.
“So employment will be created, foreign currency is going to be created and issues of devolution are going to come in” he said.
He added that the company is set to further explore outside Manicaland to create value for government through diamond mining.
“This project is very significant for ZCDC, we have to take it from a point of view were ZCDC has been mining in Manicaland.
“We have been within Manicaland for quite some time but now we want to go out and further explore outside Manicaland so that we can create value for the government through diamond mining,” he said.
Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said the country’s mining industry is destined to increase in size with diamonds alone expected to contribute $1 billion a year by 2023.
“As part of the contribution to the country’s Vision 2030 of creating a middle-income economy, the mining industry is destined to increase in size from a mere $2,7 billion industry attained in 2017 to a $12 billion industry by 2023.
“It is an important milestone which Government is working on towards the attainment of the Vision 2030 and with that $12 billion industry by end of 2023, diamonds will contribute $1 billion at least,” he said.
According to Nicholas Taruvinga, the Managing Director of AeroSurv, which partnered Xcalibur Airborne Geophysics of South Africa for the aeromagnetic surveying of gem deposits in the province, they are focused on collecting data from underneath rocks.
“Our companies utilize aircraft and helicopter platforms equipped with the very latest in data acquisition technology AeroSurv Zimbabwe collects, processes and interpret data related to the earth’s surface and the souls and rocks beneath,” he said.